Today in Focus Culture 2025: the best in film, TV and music
Dec 19, 2025
Join critics Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Catherine Shoard, and Hannah J Davies as they dissect the highs and lows of culture in 2025. Ben spotlights Blood Orange's grief-fueled artistry and CMAT's breakout charm. Catherine champions the touching film Young Mothers and the underrated crowd-pleaser Marty Supreme. Meanwhile, Hannah praises the darkly comedic Such Brave Girls and the gripping Severance. The trio also teases exciting releases to look forward to in 2026. Tune in for their insightful and humorous takes on music, film, and TV!
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A Listener's Misery With Sleep Token
- Ben Beaumont-Thomas recounts listening to Sleep Token and feeling time move slowly because of turgid music and poor lyrics.
- He describes Vessel and band members Two, Three and Four and calls the record fascinatingly terrible.
Cinema With A Nauseating Celebrity Caricature
- Catherine Shoard shares her visceral disgust at Jay Kelly, a Noah Baumbach film starring George Clooney as an exaggeratedly handsome star.
- She says audiences were retching and she felt withering embarrassment watching its caricature of 'real people.'
When Prestige TV Misfires
- Hannah J Davies recounts disappointment with Lena Dunham's recent show, calling it cringe and over-ambitious.
- She notes it was produced by Working Title, co-written with Dunham's partner, and ultimately canned by Netflix.